Various attempts have been made to minimize use of space in a clothes hanger environment, such as a closet. Among these patents are:
______________________________________ Patent Number Inventor Date ______________________________________ 1,613,447 Ellberg Jan. 4, 1927 3,991,884 DeMaagd et al. Nov. 16, 1976 4,361,241 Stoddard Nov. 30, 1982 4,548,328 Brauning Oct. 22, 1985 ______________________________________
These prior art patents disclose garment hanger racks wherein slots are provided in the rack configured to accommodate the hook on a typical garment hanger and support the garment in an angular relationship with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rack. Such an arrangement provides for improved display of the garments arranged on the rack and, in addition, requires a lesser depth if the rack is positioned in a closet.
The patent to Zdanowski, U.S. Pat. No. 3,302,800 shows a hanger bar which in the configuration of FIG. 9 therein consists of a V-shaped element with slots on the top to accommodate clothes hangers. The slots on the top are not staggered as called for in the present invention. Also the tops of the sides of the V-shaped elements in Zdanowski are bent inward, thus providing an obstacle to the unrestricted removal of a hanger therefrom. The bent protrusions of Zdanowski extend substantially over the opening of the V-shaped slots, thereby presenting cantilevered flanged obstacles which interfere with the free removal of hangers therefrom.
The patent to DeMaagd, U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,884, represents a showing of this concept, wherein a clothes hanger rod 10 has angled notches 20 to accommodate clothes hanger hooks 26.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,241 to Stoddard, describes a carpet sample display rod 21 wherein rounded projections 32 project up from the rod 21 to define parallel recesses 34 for the hanger hooks 26.
The patent to Stewart on U.S. Pat. No. 2,929,514 describes a vertically oriented clothes hanger bar with a plurality of U-shaped grooves and a second horizontally oriented bar with further V-shaped grooves, which second bar is movable relative to the first bar to move the hangers thereon to an angled position.
The patent to Smith U.S. Pat. No. 3,013,644 discloses a V-shaped bar in a non-analogous art for a ceiling structure. The V-shaped bar contains no slots for hangers, and contains bent, cantilevered protrusions extending inward from the tops of the upwardly extending members of the V-shaped bar.
The patent to Lloyd U.S. Pat. No. 3,435,957 describes an auxiliary clothes hanger structure attached to an ironing board. The structure includes a U-shaped bar with a plurality of V-shaped slots extending only into the two slightly top edges of the U-shaped bar. The V-shaped slots are not angled with respect the axis of the U-shaped bar.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,613,447 to Ellberg describes a suspension device for clothes wherein descending hooks 10 may be rotated at an angle.
However, none of the prior art patents disclose a device which holds a clothes hanger hook in two places, to limit movement of the hook off of a preferred storage angle.
The distinguishing feature of the present invention from the prior art includes the novel "V"-shaped cross sectional bars, which permit the two slots to stabilize the coat hanger hook in place. The curved slots within the prior art rods of the DeMaagd, Stoddard or Brauning patents cause the hanger hooks to rotate loosely and move away from the desired angle.
Conversely, the bent inwardly extending protrusions of the Zdanowski patent interfere with the smooth, unrestricted removal of the hangers therefrom.
In contrast the two slots of the present invention provide two spaced apart slots to keep the hanger hooks (and the clothes hanging therefrom) resting in place in the desired angle.